KASAULI, Oct. 11 -- Writer Salman Rushdie once described the Himalayas as "land's attempt to metamorphose into sky"; even at its foothills, the world's tallest mountain range feels otherworldly and awe-inspiring, befitting a place that has long been the backdrop for mythical tales of spirituality and wonder.

Peel away the Orientalist mysticism, however, and a much more grounded - yet no less sublime - picture of the region emerges.

The Himalayas span five countries: Nepal, India, China, Bhutan, and Pakistan. In India alone, the range covers 13 states and union territories, from the disputed region of Kashmir to Himachal Pradesh, home to Shimla, the summer capital of the British Raj.

In the latter state, agriculture and, increasingly, h...